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April 30, 2008
Don't forget to write!BoardBuzz came across an interesting article in USA Today last week on every high school senior's favorite test, the SAT. The article highlighted two recent studies looking at how effectively the SAT's new writing section (introduced in 2005) predicted college freshman grades. Both reports, one by the College Board (who administers the SAT) and the other by the University of California, found that the new writing section was indeed a good predictor of college freshman grades. Actually it’s even a better predictor than the traditional math and critical reading (formally verbal) sections.
These results show once again that while math, reading, and science are important, well developed writing skills are critical to the future success of our students and should not be overlooked. Students need to leave high school with content knowledge AND the ability to communicate that knowledge clearly and succinctly whether or not they plan to attend college.
In this digital age of instant messaging, email, social networking, and of course blogging, the written word is taking on a growing importance. However, writing is a 21st Century skill that often takes a back seat to math and science. That is why you should check out our friends at the Center for Public Education in the coming months as they look into the knowledge and skills that will be needed in this new century. The Center will look beyond just math and science skills to determine what skills students need to not only get a good job but to be quality citizens as well.
In the mean time you can check out how students fared on the SAT and the ACT, and explore many other educational issues at www.centerforpubliceducation.org.
Posted April 30, 2008 2:10 AM | Curriculum | Students
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